"Mother, are you really determined to be against me today?"
His resolute face showed determination.
Ziyi had been holding back her anger and was lying in Shi Muwǎn's arms.
"Your Ladyship, let it go. I'm just a low - ranking maid. I won't take the Prince's actions today to heart."
Her tone was somewhat cold, as if mocking her humble status.
However, once Shi Muwǎn said something, she would never take it back.
"Huàng'er, considering that you've been deceived by villains, as long as you agree to two conditions, I'll let today's matter go."
But Ji Huàng seemed to be under a spell and refused to back down no matter what.
"I know you want me to give up on Huì'er from now on, but I'll never be a faithless person."
"If you're so stubborn, then I have no choice but to sever ties with you."
When these words were spoken, everyone fell silent for a moment.
The young emperor, who was initially so angry because of Ji Huàng's actions, also spoke up for him at this moment.
"Mother, the younger brother has been temporarily bewitched by evil people. I'm sure he'll figure out the stakes soon. Severing ties is too serious a thing to say."
"Humph, how can there be such a confused offspring in our royal family? Ziyi, after all, has made contributions. His heartlessness makes me wonder if all the teachings I gave him have gone to waste."
This was the first time Shi Muwǎn swore in public since she came to this era.
Ji Huàng was still infatuated.
"Since Mother has said so, there's no point for me to stay."
After saying that, he threw away the jade pendant that Shi Muwǎn had given him. This pendant represented his identity and was given to him on his birthday. Now, for a woman, he was resolutely willing to let go of everything.
Watching the figure getting farther and farther away, even Ziyi couldn't bear it. She clearly felt her mistress's slightly trembling hands.
"Your Ladyship, if you really can't bear it, I'll go and apologize to the Prince. Let's just let this matter go. After all, you're mother and son. You can't be estranged. I believe the Prince will understand your good intentions in the future."
Without hesitation, Shi Muwǎn refused.
"No need. If my son can't tell right from wrong, then I'll act as if I never had such a son."
She waved her hand, not wanting to dwell on this issue anymore.
"Go and find the divine doctor right away."
Ziyi was almost unconscious but still managed to hold on. "Your Ladyship, don't worry. I'm just a low - life. I'll be fine. You should go and find the Prince first. It's dangerous for him to be out alone."
"Humph, he won't know his place until he suffers some hardships. Don't worry. Even if he goes out, he won't be able to find Huì'er alone. He'll come back sooner or later."
Since she had said so, the others could only hold their tongues.
Not long after, the divine doctor ran over with the medicine box that Shi Muwǎn had given him. He was in such a hurry that one might think a great disaster had occurred.
"What's going on? What's going on? Who's injured?"
When San Qi walked in, sweating profusely, he saw the dying girl on the bed.
He was stunned and didn't react at first.
"What happened? How did this girl get so seriously injured in the palace again?"
Obviously, he was no longer surprised to see Ziyi injured.
Shi Muwǎn said helplessly, "Sir, please take a look at her first."
After a long while, San Qi withdrew his hand.
"Fortunately, the vital parts weren't injured, but she still needs to recuperate for a few days."
"Thank you, divine doctor. I'm troubling you again."
"It's okay. But this girl gets injured all the time. Your Ladyship should be more careful to prevent her from getting any chronic diseases in the future. You'll regret it then."
"I'll keep your words in mind, divine doctor."
"By the way, isn't today the day when the Prince and the others returned in triumph? How did it almost turn into a life - threatening situation?"
Since San Qi was one of their own, Shi Muwǎn told him the whole story.
After listening, San Qi frowned. "There were indeed some rumors in the palace two years ago about them. I didn't expect they were already in touch at that time."
Shi Muwǎn didn't quite understand what he meant. "Do you know something else, divine doctor?"
"Didn't Your Ladyship hear about it before? That's right. You were probably extremely worried because of the rebellion at that time."
Hearing this, Shi Muwǎn suddenly remembered. She had heard Xiaoxiao mention that once Ji Huàng had lingered at the door when she was resting and was blocked, so he couldn't come in.
Everything was gradually becoming traceable. Shi Muwǎn suddenly felt a bit regretful.
"It turns out that I've always ignored this child. That's why he's so infatuated with Huì'er. When I ignored him, someone just happened to appear and show him concern."
Ji Héng looked guilty. "It's all my fault at that time. I distracted Mother, so she didn't have the extra energy to care about the younger brother."
"These things are in the past. Instead of regretting what you've done before, you'd better think about how to find him back. Your Ladyship, don't let the Prince make a big mistake because of a momentary impulse."
Just then, Ziyi woke up. She struggled to speak. "Your Ladyship, the divine doctor is right. Don't do anything you'll regret."
Shi Muwǎn sighed. It was really hurtful for a child to be ignored by his mother. She never thought such a thing would happen to her one day.
"Okay, someone! Go and find the Prince right away. Tell him that I want to reconcile with him."
"Yes."
Soon, her subordinates ransacked the entire Changjing City.
But the result disappointed everyone.
"Your Ladyship, the Prince and General Lan have disappeared in Changjing City."
"What! How is that possible? They just came back! You must have missed something."
"I've searched the whole Changjing City and found nothing. If nothing goes wrong, the Prince and the general may have returned to the northwest."
Shi Muwǎn was stunned. Had she finally broken that child's heart?
At this moment, she suddenly felt weak.
"Forget it. I'll write a letter and send it there. He may still be angry. He should come back when he figures it out."
...
The letter soon reached Ji Huàng's hands. He had just seen Huì'er and his eyes were full of tenderness.
"Huì'er, you've suffered a lot these years. I never thought that our separation would last so long. Fortunately, you're safe."
Huì'er cried and threw herself into his arms. Her hair was in a mess, as if she had been having a hard time recently.